EEVblog #1312 - Siglent Oscilloscopes CRIPPLING History Mode!

Siglent oscilloscopes have a crazy crippling automatic waveform History mode that is always on, you can't switch it off, and it gobbles up all your sweet juicy sample memory.
Why?

#Siglent #Oscilloscope #Review

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[EEVblog]

Technically you can get the full memory depth you need at any timebase, but you have to set a slow main timebase first and then use the the split screen dual waveform Zoom feature and then set your required secondary timebase. No other scope forces you to operate in this convoluted way.

[jorditribo]

In all modern mid range scopes in the market you can use the deep memory to capture long period of times at full sample rate, or you can use it to capture multiple triggered waveforms (segmented memory). This one is not the exception. The difference is that by default you get the segmented capture, and if you want a longer capture you just adjust the time base and then you zoom in. In the other ones by default you get the longer continuous capture, and if you want to segment the memory you need to manually activate it. No big deal, you are NOT loosing any functionality, it just the default behavior.

[TzOk]

Please note, that these new Siglent scopes always store only one frame of data, where a frame is a period of time currently visible on the screen (timebase x no of division on the screen). On the other hand, they use a huge overampling, so you may "zoom in" after stopping. My SDS1104X-U samples at full 1GSa/s from 1ms/div. So if you want to single shot capture a longer period of time, just set lower timebase, and zoom in after triggering. I quite like it... it is only a matter of getting used to it. It is different, but it doesn't mean it is worse.

[easyBob]

I love my 2 channel Sig. It's not the best scope out there, but for a newb like me, it's solved many problems I've had trying to learn and build electronics. It was also a great price, which was important in even getting a scope. Most are priced way to high for someone that doesn't work on electronics daily.

[EEVblog]

Someone posted something about the Twitter fiasco but it's now gone. So they either deleted it (and hence my reply) or The Algorithm did.

[WacKEDmaN]

...someone needs to write some open source firmware for these puppies!.. im sure alot of features and specs can be pulled out of a "standard" siglent sillyscope....

[TheDefpom]

@5:05 the horizontal control DOES have a zoom silkscreen below it, and does do that function, press it.

[murtaug]

The Zoom control is the right side middle knob

[jon_collins]

I just got an SDS1204X-E and honestly this is a major drawback, even given the good specs it's still almost a deal breaker for me, it's just not how I like to use a scope. To me a major advantage of a DSO IS the ability to 'magically' zoom out and see into the past and future. What I don't get is how this got missed in all the reviews, I noticed the issue almost immediately after power up.

[koller]

I have a Siglent SDS2104X HD and this is FIXED!
And it has an option to always use all the memory available.
Maybe it got implemented on the X Plus as well?

[nixxonnor]

Could Siglent, if they wanted to, simply fix this memory "feature" (not a bug) with a firmware update? If so, they should make their odd memory "feature" optional in software. Or are there hardware limitations in the applied memory configuration?

[theboots]

Isn't the zoom control you're talking about around 5:04 just your horizontal scale wheel? It looks exactly the same on your scope..?

[uni-byte]

You can use all the memory. Set the scope up to where you want it to trigger, verify everything is honky dory, zoom out until you are capturing 200MPts, then stop or single event trigger. Now you can zoom into all 200Mpts and navigate around. Easy peasy.

[bill]

That history view is showing only triggered frames. It's not like one long continuous capture like other scopes show when they zoom out. If an interesting glitch always occurs far enough before or after the trigger so as not to appear on-screen, you'll never see it using the history display.

[cowasakiElectronics]

@EEVblog - I watch dozens of your scope reviews and informative videos but I'm still stuck in the analogue era. I understand how to use all the normal functions but quite a few of the functions which are specific to digital scopes have passed me by, I bought an SGS1204x-e or something like that and things like this history just go over my head. If you search for oscilloscope teaching videos they are all for beginners. I'd love to use such features as this, decoding etc - You seem to have stopped your educational videos, how's about some teaching videos for more advanced functions or more advanced equipment. Thanks

[reverse_thursday]

When you hear that "hiii" thanks for all your work Dave I really appreciate your videos

[DaveMcAnulty]

5:02 manual shows a zoom control. I see the exact zoom control on your scope right above where you are pointing? Maybe you couldn't see the "zoom" text due to your angle of view...

[KeenanTims]

I assume it's a trade-off in development simplicity, not functionality. Doing it 'right' would probably require a different capture and possibly display pipeline. Now that you've highlighted that this is a thing and people see it as a feature, maybe that will change.

[kahvac]

I was ready to buy Siglent until I seen this. Memory depth is too important to skimp on. I'll be looking into more expensive scopes. Thanks Dave for the heads up.

[electrodacus]

Not sure I see the limitation. This is a 2GSa/s scope so the ADC can not capture more points than that no matter how much memory you have available.
2GSa/s = so at 1us per division you have 10 division per screen so 10us can fit thus 20kpts there will be some dead time and they can capture a new screen for the history mode that is always ON.
On the other scopes assuming they are the same 2GSa/s you will not have more points on that 10us screen what you will have is data outside the screen if you do zoom out. But you can get all that data on this scope if you set the time base so that all memory is used and then zoom in to the 10us screen then you can zoom back out as on the other scopes absolutely no difference.
So is not that you can do something on the other scopes that you can not do on this one is just that you need to set the scope differently.